Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
You can print this page and show it to your doctor.

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets you search for payments to U.S.-based doctors made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies between August 2013 and December 2018. The disclosure of these payments is required under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

About This Information

  • The information that appears here comes directly from the federal government. Companies must attest to its accuracy, and doctors have the ability to contest information they believe is in error.
  • This site includes payments for such activities as speaking, consulting, meals, travel and royalties. It does not include payments for clinical research.
  • It is legal for companies to make payments to doctors as long as the payments are not a kickback or inducement to use their products.
  • Some doctors say collaborative relationships, particularly those involving research, are necessary to develop new treatments and cures. But many ethicists have raised questions about the payments, and studies show that they may influence doctors' prescribing decisions.
  • Only you can decide if this matters to you and if so, whether you want to talk with your doctor about it. If you plan to talk with your doctor (or if you already have), please help us by filling out this short survey: propub.li/participate-d4d

Preparing for Your Conversation

If you decide you'd like to talk to your doctor about this, please keep in mind:

  • Many health care professionals in our database have similar names, so you should start by asking your doctor if the person mentioned in this payment record is really him/her.
  • Your doctor may not know he or she is listed as receiving payments, especially if the payments are small. You can direct your doctor to this site (the URL will be printed at the top of the payment record) or directly to the government's site here: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/70105
  • Some doctors are happy to discuss this information with you. Others might not be. The best approach is to ask questions and to not be accusatory.

Questions You Might Want to Ask

  • Is this you?
  • What type of work do you do with these companies?
  • Have you prescribed me any drugs that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?
  • Are there non-drug alternatives that I may want to consider first?
  • Are there less expensive generic alternatives to the drugs you have prescribed?
  • What devices have you used in my care that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?

Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/70105
If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

BINH PHAM

Listed Specialty: Gastroenterology
1111 W 34TH ST, STE. 200, AUSTIN, TX, 78705-1900

2018 Payments: At a Glance

124

payments

$5,193

payment total

22

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 122 $3,043
Promotional Speaking/Other
 1 $1,500
Consulting
 1 $650

Drugs & Devices in 2018

Totals listed below account for all payments from that mention this product. Beginning in 2016, the government began classifying products as drugs, devices, biologics or medical supplies. Below, you will see drugs (drugs and biologics) and devices (devices and medical supplies). If a payment record mentions more than one product, the entire value will be included in each of those products. When no products are listed, they are not included in the list below.

Product Name Product Type Payments†
WALLFLEX

device

 $1,500
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,158
STELARA

drug

 $301
REMICADE

drug

 $248
GENERAL BILIARY DEVICES

device

 $219
COOK MEDICAL HEMOSPRAY

device

 $219
LINZESS

drug

 $201
TAPERED SCREW

device

 $123
SPYSCOPE

device

 $114
VEMLIDY

drug

 $111
SPYGLASS RETRIEVAL BASKET

device

 $109
XIFAXAN

drug

 $105
BILIARY STENT INTRODUCER

device

 $88
MAVYRET

drug

 $83
DREAMTOME

device

 $81
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $75
LINX REFLUX MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

device

 $72
HUMIRA

drug

 $72
THERAPIES

device

 $60
COOK MEDICAL HEMOSTASIS

device

 $60
† May not add up to dollar total at top of page, since a payment record may not be associated with any product or can be associated with several products.

For ease of printing, only the 20 drugs and devices with the highest payments are displayed. For a complete list, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/70105

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 29, 2018 $1,500 WALLFLEX Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 31, 2018 $650 No Listed Product Consulting CONMED CORPORATION
Sep 25, 2018 $134 LINZESS Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Aug 2, 2018 $125 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ABBVIE, INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $123 TAPERED SCREW Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $122 STELARA REMICADE Food and Beverage JANSSEN SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS, LLC
Oct 29, 2018 $114 STELARA REMICADE Food and Beverage JANSSEN SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS, LLC
Oct 5, 2018 $114 No Listed Product Food and Beverage GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Feb 13, 2018 $114 SPYSCOPE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 10, 2018 $111 VEMLIDY Food and Beverage GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Aug 14, 2018 $109 SPYGLASS RETRIEVAL BASKET Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 3, 2018 $105 COOK MEDICAL HEMOSPRAY Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Feb 8, 2018 $93 GENERAL BILIARY DEVICES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 1, 2018 $93 No Listed Product Food and Beverage SHIRE NORTH AMERICAN GROUP INC
Jun 4, 2018 $88 BILIARY STENT INTRODUCER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 6, 2018 $85 GENERAL BILIARY DEVICES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 17, 2018 $81 DREAMTOME Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 30, 2018 $80 No Listed Product Food and Beverage GILEAD SCIENCES INC
Sep 21, 2018 $75 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 24, 2018 $75 COOK MEDICAL HEMOSPRAY Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC

For ease of printing, 20 payments are displayed, the largest appearing on top. For a full list of payments, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/70105

Note: We have made some effort to normalize the data and eliminate duplicates, but the data is primarily as it has been reported by the companies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To purchase the normalized data, please visit the ProPublica Data Store. If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This site includes data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 28, 2019.